Disquiet

A/N: See Chapter 1 for disclaimer.

Thanks to my beta team of charmed310, snapeophile and JaneAverage, who help to tame the (many) errant commas! One hundred points to Ravenclaw, Jane!

~~~

Cedric was both distracted and nervous during the Transfiguration exam, even though, as Champion, he was exempt from actually taking the test. That fact rankled slightly too, because he knew that he could have passed with his eyes closed and his wand in the next room, but instead he spent the first hour in the back of their classroom, surrounded by a Silencing Charm, drilling Markus and Jamie on some of the more difficult incantations before their turn in front of Professor McGonagall. Their sixth-year examinations were structured so that they closely resembled the N.E.W.T. format; that way, her students would get an idea of what next year's examinations would be like. His friends were very well prepared and didn't really need his help, and he suspected that they were just being polite and kind, when they should have been concentrating on their upcoming test. Unreasonably, that annoyed him too, but Cedric realized that his nerves had very little to do with the upcoming task and more to do with the direction his life would take afterwards.

Then again, since he couldn't concentrate, it was just as well that he didn't have any exams to take, although if he did, at least his mind would have been somewhat occupied. Instead, Cedric spent his time in the back of the class doodling on a piece of parchment, drawing pictures of Snitches and Bludgers and various types of broomsticks. The lack of Quidditch this year had taken away one of his methods of stress relief, which left him with only memories of the game. Thoughts of his night-time flying with Harry flashed across his mind, and he sighed as he charmed his illustrated Quidditch set to move across the paper in a miniature game. Visions of his last conversation with Harry kept reappearing, and he didn't seem able to turn them off, something that concerned him slightly because he had always been able to focus his abilities when required to.

He gazed at the action being played out on the piece of parchment, as a flock of Snitches flew past a broomstick at high speed while a Bludger crashed into the handle of another, smaller broomstick on the left side of the page, shattering the handle and causing the pieces to spiral helplessly off the edge. The group of Snitches had separated and the miniature winged balls dashed off in different directions as one of the broomsticks dived after one group while a Bludger barrelled through the second. The Snitches moved out of the way of the Bludger, but a badly-drawn one wasn't quick enough, and the larger ball clipped a golden wing. The damaged Snitch flapped its useless wing frantically as it desperately tried to maintain altitude, but eventually it failed, and the tiny orb dropped off the parchment.

Cedric watched the movements in distracted fascination. With no goal hoops or Quaffle, Beaters or Seekers, indeed, no players, the game, such as it was, could only spin on endlessly with no hope of victory for either side. Somehow, the chaos on the paper reflected the disquiet in his mind, and he moodily crushed the paper in his hand and thrust it into his pocket, putting an end to the impossible situation.

Finally, Markus and Jamie finished their exams and met him at the back of the classroom. They were both grinning from ear to ear, and Cedric was genuinely pleased for his mates. 'So?' he said as he arched his eyebrows questioningly.

'Easy as the proverbial pie, my friend,' Markus quipped as he clapped Cedric on the shoulder. Jamie's face was flushed, and Cedric had noticed him speaking with Professor McGonagall before. The Gryffindor Head of House had an almost-pleased expression on her face, and Jamie had been blushing then, too. Cedric could only surmise from that exchange that his friend had received extremely high marks in the subject. 'And what about Jamie?' he asked, although he suspected that he already knew.

'Our friend James has the cat-lady beaming like a first-year. Just imagine, he decided to turn his silver spoon into an Osprey, with more detail on the wings than even the Guide to Advanced Transfiguration suggested!

They all laughed, and Cedric shook Jamie's hand enthusiastically before they went down to lunch. The Great Hall was abuzz with the palpable stress of examinations past and those still to come. As they made their way over to the Hufflepuff table, Cedric finally saw Harry, and even though they only shared the briefest moment of eye contact, the hollow look in the Gryffindor's eyes wasn't Cedric's only concern. Even from this distance, and despite the general confusion of magical energy in the room, he was still able to hone in on the turbulence that was Harry's magical signature well enough to feel as though the fight had gone out of the younger boy. Cedric understood enough about Hagrid's penchant for dangerous creatures to know that Harry would need all his skill and every bit of luck he possessed to get through the final task, and although he couldn't very well just walk over to the Gryffindor table and say that, he knew that he had to do something.

He fished in his pocket for a piece of parchment but only came up with the crumpled piece that he had used earlier. He groaned as he smoothed out the wrinkles, and his hand trembled slightly while he wrote a hasty note on the bottom of it underneath the still-flying brooms and Snitches.

Harry,

Cedric

A movement out of the corner of Cedric's eye drew his attention to Harry, who was walking out of the Hall. He quickly folded the note and charmed it into Harry's pocket as the Gryffindor walked past his table with his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him, studiously avoiding Cedric. Ron and Hermione were directly behind him and nodded their hellos to Markus and Jamie and then to Cedric, who wished that he could iron things out with Harry so that they would both be settled enough to compete in the Tournament properly. Markus' words about keeping emotions out of it kept replaying in his mind, and that concept would be just fine if it wasn't for the fact that emotions were running high today, and not just for him.

After lunch, Jamie stood and shrugged his school bag onto his shoulder. 'Well, lads, I'm off to Divination.'

'Predict well, my friend,' joked Markus, and they all laughed.

Cedric nodded his agreement. 'Yeah, g'luck, mate, although you seem to be on a roll today.'

Jamie grinned and hurried along to catch up with Katie and some others as they set off towards the North tower. Cedric and Markus, in unspoken consent, walked out the front doors into the sunlight and made their way down to the lake in companionable silence. As they reached the lakeshore, Cedric conjured some squishy armchairs for them to sit in, and Markus raised his eyebrows in appreciation. 'Now, see, THAT'S why you're our Champion.'

Cedric cleared his throat pointedly.

'Sorry, sorry, I mean "one of our Champions",' he groused, but grinned as he said it, so Cedric knew that there was no offence taken. They both settled into their chairs and stared across at the Durmstrang ship floating serenely on the still waters of the lake.

Markus let out a long sigh. 'I love it here.'

'Mmm,' Cedric agreed, and another long silence passed between them. A slight movement on the ship caught their attention, and they watched as Viktor Krum dived from the deck of the Durmstrang ship into the water.

'Hope the Squid doesn't get him, although by now they should be friends, eh?'

Cedric snorted, and they watched as Krum swam briskly from the bow of the boat to the stern and back, several times.

'He sure is fit, that one,' Markus observed.

'That he is,' Cedric agreed, and there was a gap of silence while they both looked at each other and then burst into raucous laughter.

'So, after Div, Jamie is finished with his exams. What about you? Potions on Friday and that's your last, yeah?' Cedric asked as he wiped away tears of laughter.

Markus nodded. 'Professor Snape is sure to come up with the Draught of Living Death, or perhaps some obscure concoction that we've never heard of.'

'See why I gave up Potions?'

His friend smiled. 'It's not all that bad though, mate. I mean, once you can get past Snape's cheerful demeanour, the actual study is really quite fascinating. It's incredible what you can accomplish with some ingredients and a fair bit of knowledge.'

Cedric nodded at his friend's impassioned speech. He'd never had an interest in Potions, and Professor Snape's attitude had certainly not helped matters any.

'Besides,' Markus continued, 'he doesn't climb all over us the way he does with your boy there. I don't know how Harry handles it.'

'He's strong.' Cedric's voice was almost a whisper.

'Maybe so, but still, Snape on a rampage is pretty difficult to take.'

Cedric was jolted out of his musings and looked across at his friend who was studying him intently. 'I think he's the strongest person I know, Markus. Seriously, what he's been through and what he continues to have to deal with; I just have this feeling that his inclusion isn't above-board. I can't explain it...'

'I know, I know, but you feel it.'

'Yeah, I do, and I'm pretty nervous about this final task.'

'You'll be fine, mate.'

'Thanks, and I figure I will be all right, but remember, Fleur and Krum don't have any school loyalty to Harry, and furthermore, they're just as qualified and probably very eager to wrest the victory away from the host school.'

Markus gave a short but loud laugh. 'Well, if it were a Quidditch match, I'd say you'd have your arse beat, or perhaps a beauty contest, but, well, no offence, but you're not THAT pretty!'

Cedric chuckled in spite of himself. 'Don't discount either of them, Markus. The Goblet chose them because of their abilities, and any of the champions are more than capable of becoming the winner.'

'Even Harry?'

Cedric nodded slowly even as he considered the question. 'Yes, even Harry. He may be inexperienced and only a fourth-year, but he's powerful, Markus, he really is. Not only is he incredibly gifted with natural flying ability, but his magical signature is so strong that I can pick it up even among all the clutter of Hogwarts.'

Markus eyed Cedric doubtfully. 'Is it really that strong, or have you just become so attuned to him that you'd be able to pick it out from miles away?'

'Not "miles away", Markus,' Cedric admonished gently.

'Well, it bears thinking about, mate.'

'Yes, I suppose it does, but in any case, the fact is that I can feel his presence.'

'Even here?'

Cedric closed his eyes and tipped his head back as he reached out with his senses. There! He could feel the faintest throb of Harry's confused aura on the very fringes of his consciousness, and the vibrations dusted his mind with the gentlest of touches. He smiled and nodded.

Markus raised both eyebrows in surprise. 'No kidding.'

Cedric nodded again. 'No kidding.'

'Well then, if he's so powerful, why are you that concerned about him? Surely you should be concentrating on getting yourself to the Cup before everyone else?'

'There's something off, Markus. Something's not... right, not safe. I feel it in my gut.'

'So you still think someone's trying to do him in with the Tournament.' The words were a statement rather than a question, and Cedric nodded.

'I think he's in danger, and I don't mean from the creatures in the maze.'

Markus' eyes narrowed, and he shifted towards the edge of his seat as he regarded Cedric intently. 'What kind of danger? Shouldn't we go to the Headmaster if you suspect something?'

'No!'

Cedric's reply was a little too quick and emphatic for Markus not to take notice. 'What's all THAT about, 'Diggs? Why not Dumbledore? Surely he'd be the one to put an end to any potential trouble?'

Cedric was caught. On one hand he wanted to tell his friend everything he suspected, but a part of him knew that he should keep those opinions to himself, especially given the way that Harry had reacted to his suspicions. 'Well, no, I'm sure that the Headmaster will have everything in place during the task. It's just a suspicion, that's all.'

Luckily, Markus only quirked an eyebrow at him but he seemed satisfied with Cedric's reply. A faint splashing sound from the lake heralded the end of Krum's exercise session, and they looked on incredulously as the Bulgarian Seeker was lifted out of the water and gently deposited on the deck of the boat by a long tentacle.

Markus shook his head in disbelief. 'That's just too strange.'

Cedric agreed. 'Yeah, well remember what I said about the Champions. Don't discount anyone.'

'Hannah likes him,' Markus muttered, a bit darkly, as he angled his head towards the Durmstrang champion, and Cedric whipped his head around to look at his friend.

'Krum?'

Markus laughed easily. 'It's not that she likes him instead of me or anything, but he's famous and hugely popular and... well, she just likes him.'

They both watched as Krum grabbed a large towel and dried himself off before wrapping it around his shoulders and disappearing below the deck. Cedric smiled at his friend warmly. 'I don't think you have anything to worry about with him, though. You're more than enough man for her, and besides, he seems to have his eye on Hermione Granger.'

'Oh, you're right, and he did take her to the Ball, didn't he?'

'Yes, and they appeared to be quite cosy. Then again, from what I remember, young Weasley didn't seem too pleased by all that.'

'Cedric, how did you have time to see all that plus spend all that time with Cho...?' Markus' voice dropped off towards the end of his question, and he blushed as he turned away, belatedly realizing how silly a question that was. 'Sorry, mate. Forget I said anything.'

Cedric smiled encouragingly and shook his head. 'No, it's fine. I was with Cho, but I had time enough to look around.'

'Too busy looking for Potter, no doubt. I still can't believe that all happened right under our noses.' Markus huffed, but his half-hearted pretence at anger was completely transparent.

Cedric remembered the night well, and the faintest ghost of a shiver trickled up his spine. 'I just didn't know what to do about it. There was all this energy around us whenever I stood anywhere close to him, and I was surprised that nobody could see it, or feel it.'

'I think I know what you mean.' Markus muttered as he ducked his head, and something about his admission and the tone of his voice suggested to Cedric that this wasn't merely a casual remark. He turned quickly and regarded his friend. 'Oh, yeah? Anything I should know?'

Markus blushed deeply, a colour that rivalled Jamie's customary shade, and when he met Cedric's eyes, a wry smile played on his lips. 'Well, nothing earth-shattering, but I... we... Well, blimey, Diggs, I don't know how to put it into words.'

'Then just let me feel it,' Cedric encouraged gently.

'What?' Markus looked genuinely confused.

'Just sit back, close your eyes, and let the feeling flow over you. Open up and let it in, or out, or whatever you do, but just feel it, and I'll know.'

Markus squinted sceptically at Cedric in the fading sunlight and shrugged, settling back into his armchair and closing his eyes. Cedric took a deep, cleansing breath and closed his eyes also as he concentrated on clearing his mind and his emotions, focusing everything into sheer white light so that he would be open and ready for Markus. They had tried this once before, years ago, but Markus had been resistant to it then and hadn't been able to let his emotions free. Cedric suspected that this time it would be different, and slowly, ever so slowly, he felt it building, the tingling warmth of passion tinged with excitement and the slightest hint of fear. The sensations rolled away from Markus and enveloped Cedric, the colours intensifying as the feelings grew more powerful, and they suffused his mind with a deep, rich yellow that swirled amid deep reds and warm rose tones. Cedric smiled to himself happily – yes, his friend was in love.

Markus shifted in his chair, and the colours in Cedric's mind faded. Brief though it had been, he understood the depth of feeling that Markus had for Hannah, and he couldn't stop the broad grin that broke out on his face as his friend regarded him with an almost sheepish expression. 'What, Diggs? C'mon, let's have it.'

'That was good, Markus. Very powerful, and a bit frightening too, wouldn't you say?'

Markus groaned and leaned forward on the chair, resting his elbows on his knees as he ran his hands over his face. When he finally met Cedric's eyes, his mouth quirked into a half-smile and his hair was in a state very reminiscent of Harry's riotous mop. The image brought with it a wave of very similar feelings to what Cedric had just experienced through Markus, and his stomach flipped over in a decidedly uncomfortable, yet welcome, manner.

'It's all so new and so... big, mate. I never expected this.'

Cedric nodded. 'Sometimes the intensity is there for a reason. I think that your magic complements Hannah's, and perhaps that's why it feels so overpowering. How does she feel?'

'Oh, c'mon, Diggs, you're really asking me that question?' Markus' expression of disbelief was complete.

'Yes, I certainly am. She must have told you something or given you an indication of something?'

'Well, maybe. I think she holds her breath when she first sees me and her eyes get all unfocused....'

'And what do you feel then?'

Markus shifted uncomfortably and scratched his chin. 'Um, sort of tingling and warmth all over, and my heart beats something fierce.'

Cedric tried to look gravely serious. 'Sounds like it, Markus.'

'Sounds like what?' Markus' eyes had widened slightly, and he shifted forward anxiously in his seat.

'Mucho mas, Papi.'

'Prat,' Markus huffed, but he was amused. 'It's way more than mucho mas, Diggs.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

Cedric's heart expanded with happiness for his friend. 'It's all right to feel that way, 'Kus, really.'

They stood as the sun sank lower into the sky behind them, and Markus cleared his throat nervously as he looked at Cedric sideways. 'So is that how it feels for you? Y'know, with Potter?'

Cedric looked at his feet, feeling as though he was blushing down to his bones. He Banished their chairs in an effort to buy himself some time as he thought about the question. He'd never expected Markus to ask something like that, but then again, his friend was nothing if not direct.

'Erm, something very much like it, yes.' But it's so much more than that! But Cedric knew that his friend wouldn't understand the true depth of his emotions. Markus seemed to consider that for a moment as they walked up the incline to the castle. Suddenly he turned to face Cedric. 'I still don't really understand it, Diggs, but it's good if you feel that way too.'

A wash of pure emotion welled up in Cedric's heart, and his throat felt suddenly dry. He nodded and swallowed, unable to speak, thankful that Markus at least partly understood him.

~~~

The lengthening shadows of the setting sun continued their slow march across the landscape, and as dusk began to settle around them, the friends returned to the castle. They walked through the front doors in time for dinner and joined the rest of the students in the Great Hall. Jamie was already eating dinner at the table, and they crossed the room to join him.

'So, James, how was it?' Markus boomed as he clapped his friend on the back.

Jamie almost choked on his mouthful of food and took huge gulps of pumpkin juice to help it down. 'Godric's groin, Markers, warn a man before you do that!'

'Sorry, mate, but we're eager to hear.' Markus' broad grin did nothing to support his words; in fact, he didn't appear in the slightest bit remorseful to Cedric. They sat on either side of Jamie and helped themselves to dinner as they waited for his news.

Jamie finally swallowed and cleared his throat. 'Well, you know, a little of this, a bit of that. Trelawney thinks that I'm a born Seer, and she made grand suggestions that I should return after NEWTs to apprentice with her.'

Cedric tried to hide his grin at the incredulous look on Jamie's face. 'So, it went well, then, did it?'

Jamie laughed. 'Yeah, well enough.'

The friends concentrated on their dinner, and after dessert Markus suggested that they have a final run-through of all the hexes and charms they'd practiced. Jamie nodded his agreement, but Cedric shook his head. He didn't want to prepare for task anymore, as he felt that his skills were sufficiently honed and he remained confident in his abilities.

'If you don't mind, I'd just like to visit with the two of you.' Markus regarded him carefully for a moment and then shrugged as he nodded in agreement. They rose and made their way back to the common room, where it seemed as though the library had exploded. Their housemates were gathered around desks and other pieces of furniture, on the rugs and in the corners, in groups and individually, with their textbooks and bits of parchment strewn over every horizontal surface. Cedric nodded to Ernie and a couple of the other fourth-year students, who were almost buried by what looked like their Transfiguration notes, and then followed Jamie and Markus to their dorm.

'Poor blighters,' Jamie commiserated. 'Thank Merlin I'm all done.'

'No kidding,' Markus noted. 'Only Potions for me and then I'm free. Then again, we could have all just become Champions and been exempt from them altogether. Isn't that right, Cedders?' he said merrily as he clapped Cedric on the shoulder and walked through the door to their room.

Despite Cedric's reluctance to discuss the task, Markus and Jamie still managed to review most of the defensive spells and hexes, as well as tracking and directional spells. Cedric let them have their moment, knowing that they only wanted to help him to the best of their abilities, and somehow it felt better to just talk about the spells instead of having to perform them. It was oddly calming, knowing that he was prepared with such a vast array of magic at his command.

Some time later, as they discussed the finer points of butterbeer, Markus' stomach growled loudly. They all laughed and, as one, made their way down to the kitchens. The house-elves were nowhere in sight, and Jamie brought out a pitcher of pumpkin juice while Markus and Cedric walked with trays laden with biscuits, mince pies and chocolate éclairs. Cedric had even found a treacle tart tucked away in the back of the pantry and had added it to their selection. They settled onto a long table and proceeded to make quick work of the snack. Cedric caught himself looking hopefully at the door every few minutes or so, but it stubbornly refused to open, and gradually his heart sank as he realized that he was unrealistic in thinking that Harry and his friends would be down again.

'No Gryffindors tonight, Diggs?' Markus' tone was surprisingly sympathetic, and Cedric remembered anew his friend's feelings and what they'd shared earlier at the lake.

'No. No Gryffindors at all.' Cedric felt so dejected that, despite being with his two best mates, he was sure his face was an open book, and he realized it was true when Jamie slung an arm around his shoulder.

'I don't think it's a permanent thing, Cedders. The Tournament is a lot to handle, especially for him. Next week will be time enough to talk with him. Just let it go for now and get past tomorrow, yeah?'

Cedric nodded distractedly and knew that Jamie was right; intellectually he knew that, but somehow his heart and his gut feelings told him something different. Still, there wasn't much that could be done in the next twenty-four hours to change things.

They didn't discuss the upcoming task as they munched on their snacks, and for that, Cedric was grateful. Although Markus still seemed eager to fine-tune their modified version of the Tracking Charm, he didn't push the point, and eventually they talked about their plans for the summer. Jamie had plans to visit with Katie, and Markus' family had booked a villa in Italy for a two-week vacation.

'What about you, mate?' Markus poked Cedric in the ribs. 'Provided you can actually leave your house without being mobbed – after you win the Tournament and all – what do you have laid out for this summer?'

Cedric hadn't really thought about the fame aspect of a potential Tournament win, and that gave him pause, but he chose to focus on the pleasurable things in his future. 'Well, my cousins Anne-Marie and Joan are coming over to spend a few weeks, and since you two lads are otherwise occupied, I thought I'd take them across to the Weasley place and introduce them to the twins.'

Markus laughed; a full, rich sound. 'Those cousins of yours, they're the ones who sent you all those postcards from Arizona last year, yeah?'

'Yes. Their grandmother and my grandmother were first cousins, so even though we're not "close-cousins", they're still family enough, and we get along really well. It's a shame that we live so far away, but every few years they try to get out here for a visit. It's been a while since they've come across though.'

'So, will you have enough room at your place for the two of them plus the two of us?' Markus' eyes twinkled à la Dumbledore.

'You're already taken, Mister Hughes,' Cedric admonished mockingly.

'Of course I am, no question about that, Diggs; but still, I'd like to meet the famous cousins from across the pond.'

'Well, I happen to know for a fact that Anne-Marie has a crush on Jamie.'

'Seriously?' Jamie's eyes lit up in surprise.

'Yeah, and Joan thinks that Markus is an absolute stud.'

Markus gaped and Cedric took advantage of the utter silence to drive the point home.

'In fact, they both think that,' he declared and sat back to enjoy their reactions. Markus was virtually preening himself and Jamie seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, he sat up and fixed Cedric in his gaze.

'How do they know about us if we've never met them, Cedders?'

'They've seen pictures, my friend.'

'Represent well, do we?'

'Apparently so, yeah. So, depending on when Markus' family trip ends and whether we can get together, yes, I'd imagine that we'd have a grand time, all of us.' Cedric beamed, just imagining the lively bunch of friends and family in his home. His mother adored the girls and his father got along extremely well with everyone.

'What about Harry?' Jamie asked. 'Do you know what he'll be doing for the summer?'

Cedric felt his face heat up a bit, and he cleared his throat. 'He has to spend some time with his Muggle family until his birthday – that's at the end of July – and then he plans to stay with the Weasleys until school starts.'

Jamie and Markus exchanged looks and then grinned at him knowingly. 'Well, then, that'll be perfect,' drawled Markus. 'All of us bundled up together in the summer heat. I can't believe we didn't think of this earlier!'

They all laughed and Cedric breathed a sigh of relief as he munched on a biscuit. Yes, the summer was shaping up to be just grand.

The friends returned to their almost-deserted common room, and after taking a long shower, Cedric lay back on his bed with an exhausted groan. He fell asleep quickly, but his slumber was disturbed by dreams of flight, and of fright, and he was running through a house desperately searching for someone or something, screaming 'Impedimenta! Impedimenta!' with no result. Unable to see what he was casting at in the darkness, he felt the cloying fear of the hunted, that he was in danger, and he tried to find Harry, knowing that the Gryffindor was also in danger. Cedric ran down a flight of stairs, his back to the rail, still shouting, 'Stupefy! Stupefy! Expelliarmus!' and throwing hexes over his shoulder wildly into the darkness at a foe he could not see, all the hexes that he'd told Harry to use, only Harry wasn't anywhere around, but Cedric could still feel his presence...

Cedric awoke bathed in sweat, his heart pounding and his mouth dry. His hand shook as he reached for his wand and silently conjured a glass which he filled with water from the end of his wand. He tried to control his breathing and get a hold of himself, but he heard the sound of shifting from the bed to his right.

'You okay, mate?' Markus' voice was groggy and sounded oddly disembodied, and Cedric could just make out the silhouette of his friend sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Cedric closed his eyes briefly and shook his head as if to rid himself of the images. 'Yeah. Just a bad dream. Sorry I woke you.'

'You'll be all right?'

'Sure.' But Cedric wasn't as confident as he tried to sound. He waited, scarcely daring to breathe until soft, snuffling sounds from the bed told him that Markus was asleep once more.

TBC

A/N: Reviews = love.